SOMERVILLE, AL -- They've got demons in the basement and angels in the choir loft at ShilohBaptistChurchin Somerville.

The 17th production of Judgment Seat, formerly Judgement House, begins Tuesday with a walk-through drama meant to make people squirm a little.

"We're not trying to scare people; this isn't a haunted house," said Chris Holoman, who plays "Jeremy," one of the main actors this year. "But we want to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible."

But not just for sadistic reasons, says Pastor Michael Walters, minister of students.

"One of the things we do here, we challenge people's thought processes," Walters said. "Ifyou come through, you'll be a little uncomfortable, but hopefully you'll come out changed."

The church expects upwards of 3,000 people this year, which would bring to 30,000 the number of people who have attended one of the productions at the church over the last 21 years. Visitors are led through the eight scenes with six casts of the main characters moving into each new area to provide continuity. Groups can contain up to 30 people.

Walters, now 34, was among the teenagers who came through some of the first productions.

"It made an impact," Walters said.

He's hoping this year's production makes a similar impact. When he writes the script, which now changes every year, he tries to address current issues in an eternal context.

"We're talking about life issues," Walters said. "The goal I prayed over is that people can see how life decisions don't just affect us today, but affect us for all eternity."

Walters sees an increasing move around the world to depend upon themselves instead of upon God. This year's production looks at how that could have resulted from the teaching of evolution, self-reliance and what Walters sees as New Age teachings. He sees a line between those kinds of ideas and the rash of suicides among teens in MorganCounty last year.

Trained volunteers from the church will meet with each group after it walks through the 45-minute production to connect what they've seen with the message of salvation through Christ.

"The most important mission is to make sure that people find a personal relationship with Christ before they leave here," Walters said.

This year's production heads right into the gritty realism and pain surrounding that issue. Parents are fore-warned: There are murders and suicides in this year's production. Children 10 and younger should not come through. Walters doesn't expect to let his own daughter go through until she's 12.

"We're talking about life issues you are going to have to be old enough to understand," Walters said. "I had to pray long and hard over this year's script, but the Lord laid it on my heart. It's relevant. It's taking place all the time, but it's definitely not children's material."

It's material that Jessie Banks, who plays one of the demons, sees could even be dangerous for him as an actor to work with.

"It's a really dark scene, and we have to be really careful about it, as believers," Banks said. "We're getting physical, getting in the face of friends, of adults you've respected for years - we have to keep in mind it's for spreading the gospel."

Working with the production, which involves more than half of the 400-member church as actor, crew or support, has given him more of those adults to respect each year, he said.

"I've befriended a lot of adults I'd just never sat down with and had a conversation with," Banks said. "There's a good vibe, a good atmosphere, because we're working for the Lord."

As one of the angels dancing in heaven, Courtney McGee, gets to act in a scene that sets a "good atmosphere" each night.

"It makes me feel really good because so many people are coming through and so many lives are being changed," McGee said. "I think it's awesome. You look around and so many people are crying at the end of our dance. It's awesome."

It's a kind of awesome that drives the actors and workers to their knees before, during and after, Jessie Banks said.

"This thing has been prayed over, and it will be prayed over until the very end," Banks said. "And then it will be praised over."